Treatment Study for Patients With Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

This phase II trial studies how well gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin work in treating participants with invasive bladder urothelial cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading.

In order to participate you must meet the following criteria:

• Histologically confirmed muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Urothelial carcinoma invading into the prostatic stroma with no histologic muscle invasion is allowed, provided the extent of disease is confirmed via imaging and/or examination under anesthesia (EUA). The diagnostic TURBT sample must have been obtained within 60 days prior to registration
• 20 unstained slides (10 micron thickness) of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) pre-treatment diagnostic transurethral resection (TUR) specimen available (for sequencing), with 2 (5 micron) slides at the start and end of the 20 slides, for a total of 22 unstained slides. An FFPE block is also acceptable
• Clinical stage T2-T4aN0/xM0 disease
• Medically appropriate candidate for radical cystectomy as assessed by surgeon
• No concomitant multifocal carcinoma in situ; a single focus is allowed
• One focus of muscle-invasive bladder cancer and/or a tumor < 5 cm in size
• No clinical or radiographic evidence for locally advanced or metastatic disease
• No prior anti-PD-1, anti PD-L1 therapies, or systemic chemotherapy (prior intravesical induction immunotherapy for non-muscle invasive disease is allowed, defined as BCG x 6 treatments; BCG refractory disease, defined as disease recurrence within 3 months of BCG therapy, is not allowed)
• No prior radiation therapy to the bladder
• No major surgery or radiation therapy =< 4 weeks of registration
• Not pregnant and not nursing. This study involves an agent that has known genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects. For women of childbearing potential only, a negative pregnancy test done =< 14 days prior to registration is required
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 1,000/mm^3
• Platelet count >= 100,000/mm^3
• Calculated creatinine clearance >= 55 mL/min
• Total bilirubin =< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) 
  • For patients with documented Gilbert's syndrome bilirubin =< 3 x ULN
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =< 2.5 x ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase =< 2.5 x ULN
• No hydronephrosis refractory to urinary diversion
• No evidence of New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV heart disease
• No ongoing cardiac dysrhythmias of National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0 grade >= 2
• No pre-existing sensory grade >= 2 neuropathy
• No pre-existing grade >= 2 hearing loss
• No serious intercurrent medical or psychiatric illness, including serious active infection
• None of the following within the 6 months prior to study drug administration: myocardial infarction, severe/unstable angina, coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft, symptomatic congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident, or transient ischemic attack
• No known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related illness or other active infection. HIV-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with the drugs used in this trial. In addition, these patients are at increased risk of lethal infections when treated with marrow-suppressive therapy. Appropriate studies will be undertaken in patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy, when indicated
• No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to the agents used in this study
• No concurrent treatment on another clinical trial; supportive care trials or non-therapeutic trials (e.g., quality of life) are allowed
• No prior malignancy except for: adequately treated basal or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, adequately treated stage I or II cancer from which the patient is currently in complete remission, or any other cancer from which the patient has been disease free for five years. Patients with localized prostate cancer who are being followed by an active surveillance program are also eligible

This is a partial list of eligibility requirements. To inquire about your eligibility, please call the contact number provided. If you wish to inquire via email, please include the title of the study in your message.